Its a well with stuff in it.
Gilda couldn’t believe this, unpaid overtime again. It was worse enough that she woke up with a headache and now this? "We're sorry Miss Gryphon." Gilda uttered thru gritted teeth. "But one of our flyers is sick today so we need you in her hooves...great." Gilda continued to grumble as she flew thru the sky, with a carry bag. Green rock town coming in at five o clock. She isn't being paid enough for this.
She landed in town and looked for the address, 2138 Ruble street, and seeing it was the only street in town so her options were simple. It wasn't much of a town as a few houses in some near mountain region, made in some gold or gem rush that didn't matter anymore. Still no one came out here these days. She found the address and knocked on the door, a blue earth pony answered. "Yes?"
"Got a package for…”, it was then Gilda looked at the name and flinched in surprise. "The gray doctor Tyler? Huh?" She said and then looked at the pony at the door and found him looking annoyed. "Is this some kind of a joke?" The pony accused.
"Hey, if it's a joke it’s on me." Gilda replied with a shrug. "Good day then." The pony said and with that the door shut, Gilda grumbled.
Now she had to do a trip back to the office, explain how a "Gray doctor Tyler" did not exist in green rock and call it a day. "Peeeessst! Over here!" Said a low voice, Gilda looked in its direction and now saw a gray hoofed, hooded figure in a black cloak covering all of their other features in a alleyway near the house she was at. The figure beckoned her over with a hoof. Gilda shrugged with an annoyed look, it was just not her day.
She walked into the alley. "Did you bring the package?" The figure asked in a low voice. "So you are the Gray Doctor?" Gilda asked, with a flat tone. "Not so loud! I don't need them knowing about this, someone might see me!" The figure stomped its hoof. Gilda then looked out the alley, not even one pony walked the street.
"You got the stuff or not?" The cloaked pony asked. "I got it, geeze, just take the thing." Gilda said, rolling her eyes as she handed the package to the cloaked pony. "You don't mind me asking...?" Gilda said looking around is suspicion. "What is in that? Dragon eggs, priceless jewels?" It was then the pony looked up, Gilda seeing her cross eyes.
"It’s a cake recipe." The gray pony said with a smile. Gilda blinked a few times. "You ponies are stupid, why is this such a...!" Gilda began before she got a gray hoof in her mouth. "Shhhhhh! They’ll know I'm here, don't blow this. It’s a secret!" Gilda's angry face came on. "Oh, sorry." Said the mare and pulled her hoof out.
"The Cakes think they only can bake cakes, but I'll show them! With this it will be I who bakes the cake!" After saying this mare began to laugh with an evil sound. "Anypony can bake a cake at home, dooffus!" Gilda yelled, at this the gray mare lowered her hooves, that were in the place you would have them for a evil laugh, and looked at Gilda with some confusion. "I didn't know that." Gilda face clawed. "I'm going home..." She said with a sigh as she turned a walked away.
Back on Ruble Street she now found that she was thirsty, lucky for her there was a well nearby. She walked over and lowered the bucket. "OH NO! I forgot your tip!" Gilda's eyes widened as she turned away from the well to see a speeding gray pegasus flying toward her. Thankfully she began to slow to a stop and was about to land.
Unfortunately the mare was still going to fast still, tripped on her own hooves and collided with Gilda with enough force to knock her into the well. Gilda let out a brief shout in shock as she fell down. And a audible splash could be heard within, the gray mare's cross eyes were wide with surprise and jumped back to her hooves. "Are you OK down there?" She yelled down the well.
Gilda came to half submerged in water; on the bright side she was no longer thirsty. Also she was down in a well. "I'm going back home." She said dryly. (Puh, funny.) "I'm going back home and telling my kin ponies are just not worth knowing." She got up and shook the water from her feathers and fur. After cracking her neck she looked up, what she saw surprised her. The well entrance shaft was too small to flap her wings in. "Yo! I'm down here, anyone hear me!"
She could hear no response at first, but then got one. “So, you’re OK down there right?” A voice said as a mare was now looking down the well.
“I’m in a well you clod! How is that OK?!” Gilda yelled up to the mare.
“Fly up the…oh it’s too narrow. Quick, climb the…rope is gone? Do you see a rope down there?” The mare yelled, Gilda looked around and could only find the bucket. Gilda gave a strained sigh. Guess I'll find my own way out then, huh?
"Just need to find an exit..." She said to herself looking around. Lucky for her there was a cave entrance, better still it was above the water line. She smiled and made her way out.
To Gilda's benefit the cave had some kind of glowing crystal deposits in the floor and wall here and there. If it weren't for that she would be walking in darkness the whole way. She saw the path split, and worse yet the split paths did not have crystal lighting the way. Save for one and Gilda flew thru it with little protest.
"This is like some brick road from a kid’s story." Gilda said to herself. The path lead to a dead end. And worse yet, this dead end was not empty. Gilda felt her claw clench and her eye twitch. It was her, the pink pony. She crept up behind her, despite making no sound the pony turned around to see her with a smile. "Hi Gilda!" She yelled with enthusiasm.
Gilda grabbed Pinkie by the neck and lifted her off the ground. "What the buck are you doing here?!" She yelled in Pinkie's face.
"What do you mean here?" Pinkie said on the other side of the room much to Gilda's confusion as she looked. When Gilda looked back to her claw it was empty. She growled. "What are you doing here?" Gilda said.
"I'll ask the questions here!" Pinkie said back with an accusing glare and pointed hoof. “What are you doing here?” She demanded. "I FELL DOWN A WELL!" Gilda yelled back.
Pinkie stopped, lowered her hoof, and looked up in contemplation. "Oh, makes sense I guess." She looked back a Gilda with a smile. "I'm just spelunking! But it's not what you did with the water though!" She said with glee.
If Gilda had a cool head, it was not there at this time. "Just tell me the way out, and I'll keep on going." Gilda said with annoyance and a scowl.
"Hey, Gilda...Were you really friends with Dash?" Pinkie asked with her head leaning to the side. "Where is the exit?" Gilda demanded, as was not in the mood for this question.
"I mean, you went to flight camp and you did pranks, but was that all there was?" Pinkie continued looking off here and there, now Gilda was getting mad.
"Where.is.the.e.x.i.t?!!" Gilda stated and was seconds from letting her anger out. Pinkie then jumped to action.
"Oh its right over there, you know with the torches lighting the way." Pinkie was pointing back the way Gilda came. It was clear Pinkie was not paying attention to Gilda's clear anger, or that’s what she felt.
"There are NO torches back there! It's just dark!" Gilda yelled.
"Funny...I know I lit them a while ago. Are you sure?" Pinkie asked looking quizzical. "I used my ninpony magic!" Pinkie then did some odd gestures with her hooves. Gilda shrugged and began to walk away rolling her eyes.
"Hey! Hey Gilda, wait!" Pinkie yelled. Gilda looked back with a "What now?" look. "Didn't you and Dash enjoy parties together?" Pinkie asked with a friendly, serious look.
"Yeah, so?" Gilda felt kinda sad on that note. "Now she parties with you lame-o ponies." Gilda coldly finished as she was turning away when Pinkie came up with a brilliant solution.
"Can we be lame-o's together?" Pinkie advised, Gilda just sighed and growled. "Go eat a cake." Gilda said with clenched teeth, shaking her head. "Don't mind if I do!" At this Pinkie pulled out a cake and ate it too.
Gilda lowered her head and groaned. "Just wanted to be funny, Gilda. You could use a good sense of humor." "Like I need a hernia, have a nice life..." And Gilda walked away.
"WAIT!!!!" Gilda nearly tripped. "WHA...t is...?" Gilda turned and yelled a little, before going back to normal, seeing Pinkie, crumbs and all right behind her.
"Be careful, lest the green eyed monster, upon ye shall feed." Pinkie said in an ominous faction. And she then returned to joyful again. "See ya!" And walked back to the cake she was eating. "How do they stand this?" Gilda said to no one and was on her way.
Much to Gilda's surprise there were lit torches on a path. She shrugged and kept on walking. After some distance she saw a light in the tunnel. Yes! She thought. I outta here! And with that she flew and full speed to the light and found, well, not and exit...
The cave had gem stone, and a huge pile of gems, jewels, crystal all in a big pile. Just a Gilda had the quick thought of picking a few gems for her bag she saw the bones. Several pony bones lay in the cavern, and a large dragon skeleton lay atop the treasure pile.
"Daring do's got nothing on this." Gilda said smugly with a smile. She walked to the pile and picked up a blue gem. "Got to wonder your worth, huh? Bet your 50 bits." She said still smiling.
"It's mine...." A cold voice said behind her. And she turned to see a pony skeleton, dust falling off dry bones, reaching at her with a cracked hoof. "Give it...back..."
Gilda screamed as she dropped the gem and flew out of reach of the skeleton; it then fell back to the floor. Gilda just flapped her wings idle for a minute. "Daring Do's got nothing on this..." She said with much apprehension. She lowered herself to what floor had no bones on it and waited, nothing got up.
She sighed. She saw next to her a gem encrusted gold coin, and on a hunch put her claw on it. And another skeleton came together, pulling its bones up. "No...mine...." It whispered. She took her claw off and it fell back down with a clatter. "Green eyes, huh?" Gilda said feeling cleaver. "Nice riddle! I heard that one back when I...AAAAAHHHHH!!!!"
As Gilda was about to congratulate herself, she now saw that several skeletons had risen from where she was not looking and were shuffling toward her. "Nooooooo....It belongs…to meeeeee." One whispered, with that Gilda went airborne. Gilda was now looking for any way out and seeing a tunnel, zipped to it and did not look back.
If Gilda wasn't flying, she was running. She wasn't sure how far it was, when she stopped and took a breath. "Yep, glad no one saw that..." She said, still trembling. "Now where am I?" The tunnel had those glowing deposits, telling her where the walls were. That’s a start. She thought. "Just need to avoid any more surprises is all."
After some walking she found another split, and again no lighting, just dark. Except one path, so why not? And another dead end, and somepony was there. She saw Gilda and eep'ed, before hiding behind a rock. Gilda ran to said hiding place. "Hey!" She yelled and the yellow pony ran to another place. Gilda shortened there chase by simply tackling down the pegasus. "Cut it out, what is with you?!" Gilda said with frustration.
The pony started crying out. "TWILIGHT, SOMEONE, HEL..." And Gilda covered her mouth. "Do you want those bone freaks to find us?" Gilda whispered in a cold, shaking tone. At this the pegasus blinked and put her hoof to Gilda's claw, tapping on it. Gilda knew what she was saying. "Just don't scream..." She said with a sigh and let go of Fluttershy's mouth.
"You saw them too? I thought I was the only one..." Shy said with a tremble. "Lucky us..." Gilda said as she got off Shy. "Who’s Twilight?"
Fluttershy blinked and got up. "You know...Twilight, she was at that party...?" Gilda shrugged. "Don't you remember anything?" "I know you cried like a child..." Gilda said looking to the side with a smirk.
"You sacred me...and mister mallard...and his family..." Shy was sounding more upset with each comment. "You see me scared of anything?" Gilda said. "I heard you screaming your way here." Shy replied flatly, GIlda's eye widened. "That....that was…er…Twilight, yeah." Gilda excused with a sheepish smile. "Twilight doesn’t sound like that..." Shy said in a flat tone with a serious look.
"Fine, the dead walk, so sue me..." Gilda said with a shrug looking at the ceiling. "Does your friend Twilight have a way out of here?"
"Why don't you remember us Gilda?" Shy said, tilting her head with a look of concern to the side. "We are Dash's friends..." "Pony friends." Gilda interrupted with a scowl. "Dash was the only cool pony I knew."
"Why does cool matter to you?" Shy on that statement stamped a hoof with the closest thing to annoyance. "She was a friend to you Gilda, your best friend. Didn't you think she might find her other friends, er...cool...too?" Gilda rolled her eyes. Hoo boy She thought. "I help animals, you know? And they are happy for it. Kindness goes a long way and I have friends I know I can count on." Shy said with a smile, Gilda huffed.
"Can you land with precision at high speed? Take down a manticore with your own two hooves?" Gilda challenged pointing a proud claw at her chest.
"I helped a manticroe by pulling a thorn out of its paw, and we even...um...hang out at times. Isn't that cool? Um...Gilda?" Shy replied, now Gilda was in shock.
"You befriended...never mind." Gilda shook her head, re-composing herself . "I just don't care anymore, just point the way out and I'm gone." It was then that Shy's eyes looked shocked, like she remembered something.
"Angel! Shy shouted. "I was trying to find Twilight so she could help me find Angle!" Shy looked very concerned on this. Gilda, however, had enough of this. She just walked away. "Please!" Shy cried, and now Gilda's hind leg had hooves around it. "Gilda, you have to find Angel! Please." Gilda sighed.
"What you gonna..." She was about the end that with "...cry again?" but Shy was already doing that now. Gilda sighed again, if Dash or her other friends were here, what would they do or say? And what would they do for her either? They were just some lame-o's who wouldn't know what is really awesome. Still...even she did not want to be stuck here alone. "Fine...where is Angel?" Gilda relented. "And let go of my leg." She growled.
"I last saw her while running from those monsters." She said holding her hooves. "He's a baby bunny rabbit. Oh, I hope he got away, I'm scared to face them all alone." You and me both Gilda thought, before she knew she was thinking it. "Just stay here and...cry." Gilda said before heading off to find a lost bunny.
She retraced her steps in the caverns, ready to jump or fight if she even saw another bone pony. Finally she saw her quarry, a small bunny sat there looking bored. As Gilda approached its ears twitched, Angle turned, saw Gilda and fled. "Hey! Come back here!" And the chase was on...back to the treasure room. Gilda was not pleased.
"Stupid rabbit! Whea..." Gilda stopped when a jewel bounced off her head. Turning her attention to the direction, she saw the rabbit duck into a hole. "You little...!" And with all the comic timing of any cat and mouse cartoon, Gilda put her claw into the hole. "Come on! Your mommy is calling you." She joked and then felt a bite to her claw, she winced, but still grabbed something. With a smirk she pulled the rabbit out of the not-hat.
"Got ya, you little..." Gilda trailed off when she saw what she held in her hand. It was a stuffed rabbit, and by the look of it, it had been down here for a while now. "What the..! How did he?" She heard a sound behind her, she then looked and he eyes grew wide as her teeth gritted in terror. "Oh..." She uttered, in low surprise, you know the way you would say this is going to suck. The bone ponies were up again. Lots of them even.
"Give....it...back...." The nearest one breathed and Gilda struck it, it fell apart. With quick moves, and blows, several bone bags were....getting back up...Gilda took back to the air on that note. "I'm...sorry...come...back..." There hooves waved in the air as Gilda kept above them.
"It's just a rabbit! What is with this?!" She roared in confusion to the crowd. "Its...mine...not...yours...I'll get you!" The voices weren’t in any form of sync, different statement from different bodies. Either way, she made a break for it. She put the stuffed rabbit in her bag and flew to the exit.
After some fleeing, she found Shy in the tunnel. "You brought Angel back!" She said with excitement. "Wha..." Was a far a Gilda got when she felt the bag shake, she popped it open and a familiar rabbit jumped out and hopped back to Shy and clutched to her leg.
"Don't worry sweetie. Mommies here." She said wrapping her other leg around Angel. Gilda felt queasy, the sappyness was more then she could stand right now...or ever.
"Yeah, that’s nice and all." Gilda said, scratching the back of her head, while trying to figure out the last line of event in her head. "But do you know where you’re, uh, Twilight friend is now, or anypony is right now...I mean I met..."
"Twilight was here just a minute ago, she was lighting torches and trying to find the others, to get them out." Fluttershy responded, still cooing Angel.
"So she knows the way out, right?" Gilda cut to the point. "I think so..." Shy said. "Anyway, thank you Gilda...you've done a kindness for me." "Yeah, big..." Gilda was about to snark, before Shy continued. "Weren’t you kind to Dash once, when you were friends? You said you two were cool, but were you kind? Her to you, and you to her?"
Gilda was a little stunned, she remembered being inseparable to Dash at flight camp, and that kind of made the friend break up harder when she remembered it. She was still not going to go back though, Dash’s likely wanted to hear her beg for forgiveness like some loser. They were done, that was it. Gilda sighed sadly and was on her way, walking past Shy, not looking back.
"Uh, Gilda." Shy said as Gilda kept walking. Gilda could now hear wing beats next to her. "What?" Gilda said with unease and annoyance while still walking, not even looking. "I can be your friend." Shy said.
"Yeah, that’s nice." Said Gilda said with disinterest, still not looking. "I want you to have this." Shy said, swerving in from of her and gave Gilda and big, old pendant as large as a hoof. It had seen better days, however, and was little more than a lump of scratched iron and brass. "I found it in that room earlier. Twilight said it was worth something." She continued, handing it (puh, huh) to Gilda as she looked at it like she was handed a rock.
"It's a lump of old metal dweeb...a pile of jewels and this sad, pathetic thing is worth something? Whatever..." And Gilda put it in her bag. "It was worth something to someone once, Gilda." Said Fluttershy quietly. Gilda just shrugged and sighed.
"If it's so...?" As Gilda turned from her bag to speak she found she was alone. As she looked around she saw the stuffed rabbit from earlier, in the hands of what she figured was a dead filly in the corner, its bones oddly separate from the other mass in the dragon room. Gilda blinked and then put a claw to her head.
"Daring Do did not have to deal with this,Dash. Guess that makes me cooler, huh?" Gilda said to no one with unconvincing confidence. She lowered her head and shook it, if she didn't wake up soon she was going to go crazy.
She followed the lit torches and reached another room. It was then she froze seeing something she would rather deal with Zomponies then face right now. "...Dash?" She said with apprehension. Dash turned around and looked as surprised as she was. "Gilda?" Dash asked. "Yeah..." Gilda replied back in her old mood. "Why are you and your pony friends here? I've been..."
"Gilda, stop." Dash stopped her. "They are just my friends OK?" She said with annoyance. "Yeah whatever, anyway..." Gilda again started. "NO! Gilda, don't just, anyway, this! Those were my friends and you just snubbed them like you didn't care!" Dash said with rage.
"Yeah, so! That little party of yours didn't just make me look like a loser. It made me look like a total loser. So what if I just happened to fall into every little prank you set up. You didn't care anyway, just laugh at the loser gryphon." Gilda shot back. "That's what makes you queen lame-o Dash."
"Then why don't you just go to your cool friends Gilda?!" Dash returned fire. At this point Gilda would have just stormed off and never looked back again. Hang with her cool friends, a bunch of other wannabe flight jockeys, talking about how great they were. All they ever did was talk about how great they were. That kind of thing and jabbing anyone dumb enough to think they had a shot. She dropped them some time ago, they were no match for her skills, and worse they just didn't care about anything but themselves and their own greatness. She could do that on her own. Friendship wasn’t worth dirt anyway.
"Gilda, I'm sorry." Gilda was so lost in thought she didn't realize she was staring at the floor, and Dash was doing the last thing she expected her to do. "Gilda...?" "So, what?" Gilda said stoically, not looking up.
"I can't just abandon my new friends just for you, Gilda. You’re were my best friend, I remember that. It’s just..." Dash let out a sigh. "I grew up, back then we probably figured we could fight an ursa, or be a wonderbolt no sweat. But I changed. I realized there was more than just looking awesome, Gilda. Why can't you?" Gilda looked up and could see Dash looked at least compassionate on this, she looked back down.
"So?" Gilda responded in sarcasm. "Can't you make friends with my friends? Is it that hard?" Dash chastised. "…Made friends with the yellow crybaby, Fluttershy." Gilda said, at this Dash pulled Gilda's head up. "What? She is a weird love freak sort that makes friends with everyone." Gilda said in defense to Dash's stern glare. "She wouldn’t be your friend if you were only a jerk to her. What did you do?" Dash said seriously to Gilda.
"I gave her a rabbit, geeze. What? Is friendship some kind of crazy serious business to you, what?" Gilda said in further defense. "Then she gave me this pendent." There was a pause. Dash had now taken notice of the pendent as Gilda pulled it out of her bag. Dash's jaw dropped.
"Twilight was looking for that and you had it all along?" Dash said with surprise. "Yeah, and she can have it. What is so..." It was then that she found that it had a hinge, it could be opened. Now curious, Gilda opened it and found a photograph. It was an old brown and white photo you never see outside museums anymore.
It had several ponies in front of green rock. About eight or so of them were posing happily in the picture. "It was taken back in the early prospecting years. "...they were friends once." Dash said out of nowhere. "Wha?" Gilda was taken aback by Dash's sudden change of tone.
"Oh, you didn't hear the legend did you?" Dash looked somber now and sat down. "What legend?" Gilda said, now interested to know as she sat down too. "Does it have anything to do with that dead dragon and its hoard?"
"Yeah, it does." Dash said, looking a little sad. "Twilight heard of it, and she wanted to check on it. Slow day I guess, huh?" Dash joked. "They dug up this old cave a long time ago, and they found that dragon. But it had been dead for sometime by then. No one knows why though, but they were more interested in its hoard. I was supposed to be a simple share, but..." Dash pause for a moment. "Some of the jewels had magic, like this old gem encrusted coin that was there. And at that time anypony with magic relics thought they could get favor with the princess with that and..."
Dash sighed. "They fought over who would have what and who deserved it. They even pulled out old grievances they had with each other like...like they were teeth and turnips, even potatoes. Then they fought and...died. They died over who holds the dread dead dragon’s hoard. They said a survivor walled the tunnel up and stopped all digs in this site. He said. "Disharmony needs no god. It does well enough alone." And the town cleared out over the years, some say the town is cursed."
Gilda, in all cocky nature, shrugged. "Heh, explains the zomponys." Gilda said, and Dash sighed. "Even now, they don't care about it, I mean anything else." Dash said with disappointment. "Twilight wondered if there was anything of real worth in here, now I'm worried what will happen to all of us."
"Sorry to cut this story short Dash..." Gilda said before sighing. "...but I have been stuck down here for who knows how long, so, is there a way out?" Dash turned and pointed to a path that had lit torches in it. "It's that way; Twilight should be outside going over her maps. Hand that pendent over to her, would ya?" Dash said with a smile.
"Why can't you do it?" Gilda asked pointing. "You know who to look for..." Gilda stopped when Dash gave her a serious look. "She is a purple unicorn with sparkles for a cute mark and some different colored highlights. If you want to be friends with them, you need to know what they look like." Dash said. "Being loyal means working with those you care about, ya know?"
Gilda sighed. "You are going to make me say it, aren’t you Dash?" Gilda said in annoyance. "You don't have to, Gilda." Dash said with a smirk. "It doesn’t mean anything to say you would do anything, if you didn't mean it. And if you do mean it, you don't have to say anything. You just have to say sure. OK, Gilda?"
After Dash said this Gilda felt like a significant weight was pulled off her. "Heh, sure then Dash. Sure." Gilda said. "What about you?" "I'm going to find the others, they are still down there." Dash said, readying herself. "Don't worry, you will see me outside. Maybe someday we can hang out again, just like old times. And introduce you to my friends; they’re pretty cool when you get to know them."
With that Dash dashed (Puh, heh) down the tunnel, back toward where to hoard was. Gilda got up, and was on her way out. "Like old times eh?" Gilda said, looking at the old photo, and she closed the pendent. Hope this Twilight appreciates this, Dash does at least Gilda thought.
Finally there was a light at the end of the tunnel and reaching it she found what she figured to be a store room or basement, maybe even both. Good news, someone was storing some tomatoes. Gilda fetched one and took a bite. Good to be free Gilda thought with a smile as she took another bite. "HEY!" She gulped and looked in the direction of a blue pony standing on the stairs up. "How did you get in here?"
"You got a tun...." While Gilda was explaining and pointing, she found the words and tunnel entrance were not there. She looked back at the angry pony and shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I just fell down the well and..." She said before the blue pony jaw dropped and put his hooves on his head.
"No one came out of that well, anyone who fell in..." The blue pony stopped explaining and ran away screaming "HELP! ZOMBIE! THERE IS NO CURE!" Gilda blinked, sighed, and then finished the tomato. "Why is ponykind like this?” Gilda asked.
“They are all like this, one time or another…time to time.” A voice from nowhere spoke, Gilda shifted her head in every direction. “Who?” Gilda asked.
“You had entered my den, and walked out by my whim. Many come to my den, if only for adventure, wealth, and glory. And my withered bones have been a quiet witness to their folly. Except that one child, she just got lost. Even in death, they seek to get the lion’s share of my former glory, and fight over it long since there own bodies have withered away.“ The voice continued.
“So, why did I leave?” Gilda asked back. “You passed a fine test, when pressed. It helped me recall what odd dreams of peace I could snatch with my sight beyond my den. You could see that faint glimmer of the item that you, and near all who had came before, could never see proper. And then you did, that is why.”
“So many came to my den, and so many had forgotten, in my hoard and its power beyond most reckoning. Even in death I forever ponder what it is that drives the lesser and greater by is power. Those ponies who had forgot that glimmer, and though to gleam that which my weathered body could offer no resistance to there hooves."
"There resistance came from within, by mine or their own whims, and they fought themselves and lost. Between illusion, dream, and nightmare you walked a path and did not fall far from it. Oblivious to most truth, be fair. At my mercy, you are free. Tell any child folly, small or grown, to never come to my necropolis. The treasure I prefer they seek is what glimmers in that worn, scratched, item that you took with you. I would rather see fewer things on my shrine, and less removed from it.”
Gilda just stood there, unclear to what she just heard, or for that matter even experienced. She then shrugged and shook her head. “I need to get some sleep.” She said with a claw on her head. She walked to the staircase and looked up it. The running pony had left the door wide open despite his terror, or because of it. Gilda climbed up, at least she made it out.
It was sunny out, so she hadn't been too late to plan the rest of her day, whatever planning she had anyway. As she was breathing a sigh of relief she saw something surprising. "Gilda?!" Dash yelped with wide, shocked eyes. "Dash?" Gilda said in much confusion.
Dash zoomed over and gave Gilda a quick hug. "Gilda I was worried, I just heard you fell down that well and..." Dash began to explain before Gilda interrupted.
"Wait, what? You and your friends were down there, I saw you and..." Gilda started to explain before being interrupted by Dash.
"But we haven't even..." And then they were both interrupted by Twilight.
"Dash what are you...GILDA! I heard what happened, are you OK?" Twilight said with genuine concern. "I mean we came here to examine an old legend and when we got here we heard about an accident you were in and I was about to make a search party and..." Gilda then put a claw up to tell Twilight to stop.
"You're Twilight right?" Gilda took a deep breath, with her eyes closed. "I was told by...to give you this." Gilda pulled out the old pendent with a little confusion. How do I even start to explain what I've seen down there? She thought as Twilight lifted the pendent with her magic.
"Wow, this has got to be at least a century old. And..." She then opened the latch and saw the photo. "Even better, a photograph of the towns boom years. Did you know Ponies had to stand in place for about an hour for these photos? I mean..." As Twilight continued to gush on about the old thing Gilda looked and Dash, then back at Twilight, then back at Dash.
"She do this often?" Gilda joked, Dash chuckled. "You would not believe how often." And the two had a good laugh together for the first time in a long time, at which point Twilight stopped.
"What was that?" Twilight said sternly, not taking the laughter lightly. "Anyway, Gilda, where did you get this?"
"In the tunnels beneath the well, duh. I was told by...uh, somepony to give it to you, something about it being valuable." Gilda responded, looking to the side with a shrug. "I guess the legend of a curse was false after all." Twilight said with a smile and a laugh. "I mean you came back OK, right?"
"Dude, there were zomponies down there." Gilda corrected, pointing at the well with a unsettled look. "A curse has them moving around."
"Zombies? In the well?! AAAAAHHHH!!!" A purple dragon yelled before he ran screaming. "SPIKE! I told you...excuse me." And with that Twilight ran off after Spike as he now ran alongside the still running blue pony.
"It's still got a curse on it." Gilda said in a simple tone as Twilight ran off. "Guess it’s because..." Gilda looked back at the pendent as Dash picked it up, as Twilight had dropped it.
"Because of what? What else was down there?" Dash asked looking the worn metal pendent. "You said they were friends once...down there..." Dash looked surprised as Gilda said this, Gilda knew why though. Even she would not believe this if she had not been there. But she continued. "They didn't care for anything else but that treasure, the dragon hoard. It made them turn on each other...over anything, the old dislikes they had and stuff, or...something."
Gilda sighed, as she could see Dash's eyes getting wider and her jaw dropping further. "You also said to give Twilight that pendant, that is was the only thing worth something. Like that stuff wasn't worth...uh...?" Gilda realized she looked pretty crazy right now, and her sheepish "I don't know why either." smile said volumes about that.
"ME? But I didn't..." Dash was about to go over all that was wrong with this, and started with the picture. "The legend just said several pony miners went down there and..." Dash now looked at the picture, and her expression changed, as if the weight of it became clear.
"Hey, Dash..." Gilda saw Dash, of all things, was now lost in thought. So she snapped her out of it. "YO!" Dash jumped and gave Gilda her attention. "Can we...hang out, again? I mean..."
Gilda was now losing her words, but found them again. "I guess they can't be that uncool if they are your friends, right? I could hang with them too, you know if you...?" Dash interrupted her with a big hug.
"THAT’S SO AWSOME! I mean..." Dash stopped herself a little to late, as she just realized what she just said. Gilda could think of several sarcastic lines she could say, but just said. "No...stop...you’re going to embarrass me to death..." Gilda snarked unconvincingly, but to be true, she felt happier than she had been for some time. Dash still found it funny and let go.
"When do you want to hang out?" Dash asked. "Is today good?" Gilda replied. "Um..." Dash started as she pointed, and Gilda followed her hoof. Twilight and Fluttershy were calming down Spike, Applejack and Rarity were now in a hot discussion about the town's history, and Pinkie sat there and ate popcorn, upon seeing Gilda she waved with enthusiasm.
"...might be busy today. Maybe next week?" Dash finished her sentence with a hopeful note. "Well that bout of optimism lasted..." Gilda stated with a groan and a sigh. "Guess I'll just head...."
"GILDA!!!" Gilda turned to see the last thing she expected flying toward her. "Oh no, ACK!" And Gilda was knocked off her feet and claws by a gray mare giving her a collision, and a hug.
"GildaareyouOK?Iknockedyouinthewellandthougyouweregoneanditwasmyfaultand..." "Can't...breathe..." Gilda gasped, and Ditzy let go and got off, Gilda could breathe again. Ditzy calmed down as well.
"I mean, they said there was some evil curse in there and told me I'd get lost down there too. So when Dash showed up I told her. And she was worried and..." Ditzy said. "I get it OK." Gilda sighed with relief. "You ponies were concerned about me. I appreciate it, really."
"We could throw a Gilda appreciates it party or, or a welcome back Gilda party." Said a Pink pony from out of nowhere with the surprise that is no longer surprising at this point. "I think next week is great!"
It was then Pinkie noted Gilda's scowl. "Don't worry, there won't be pranks I Pinkie promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly..." "Geeze, I trust yo..." Gilda was about to say in annoyance when she saw Pinkie, of all thing, with a look that was pleading. "...Alright, go on." She said as scratch the back of her neck.
"...stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie finished with a smile. "See you then Gilda!" And with that Pinkie bounced off to further weirdness. It was then Gilda recalled something. "Hey, Dash..." She asked. Dash looked at her with a smile. "Yeah, Gilda?" Dash replied.
"When you give Twilight that old thing." Gilda continued, pointing at the pendant. "Tell her it was the only good thing in that hole in that ground, alright?" "Uh, sure." Dash replied. "So there was no treasure down there?"
"With what I saw down there...I think this was the most valuable thing it had. At least, it’s not worth throwing away over what else is down there. Like some lesson or some..." Gilda trailed off when she saw Dash's expression change to being overjoyed. "What?"
"Lesson? Really?" Gilda turned to see a happy Twilight, with a still nervous Spike on her back. "What are you so glad about?" Gilda said seeing Twilight's joyful look as just bizarre.
"Sorry, I just overheard. I mean, you learned a lesson about friendship? That's great! It's just that no one even saw this coming and..." She now looked at Gilda with a hopeful look. "Can you write a letter to the princess for me?"
Gilda was now in shock. "What?" She said flatly. "Are you serious?" Gilda gritted her teeth, now quite nervous, and looked at Dash. "It not that hard Gilda." Dash said with a happy face. "You can handle this. Besides she starting to run out of ideas." Twilight face hoofed. "Hey, it why you brought us here." Dash defended.
Gilda sighed for the last time that day. "Anything for you Dash." Gilda said rolling her eyes in defeat. Twilight handed Gilda a pen and parchment. "I'll tell Celestia what you told Dash, lucky for us we didn't go down didn't have to go down there in the end. See you later Gilda!"
And with that Twilight ran back to her party, to tell them the news that the treasure hunt and damsel rescue was off. "See you next week Gilda!" Dash said. "I'm really glad to see you learned something." And she went to join the others.
"We'll that’s just great." Gilda said to no one in particular. "Now what do I...do?" At this point seeing the cross eyed pegasus standing next to her. The funny thing was the look she had was saying. "I have just met you and I want to be pals." Gilda was about to say something, but Ditzy spoke first.
"Want to hang out?" Had this pony had asked Gilda earlier today, she would have called her a dooffus and, tell her to get buzz off. But that was some time ago. "Sure, what do you want to do?" Gilda said with her best, attempted smile.
"Let's bake a cake together!" Derpy said with much glee. "It's better then what I had planed." Gilda said with a shrug. "Why? What were you planning Gilda?" Ditzy asked.
"To go home and go to bed. So where are we baking this thing?" Gilda answered. The look of joy on the gray mare’s faces both delighted and terrified Gilda. And so they went to known know parts unknown...yay.
"Dear princess Celestia.
I learned friendship is...I dunno, more valuable then some treasure or glory. Like, you should not just throw it away just because you felt it got in your way. Real friendship can't just be thrown away and called worthless in the end. If someone thought money, glory, or...coolness was more important than others, well, either it really wasn't friendship...or maybe they should re-examine what was really is important to them. It's never a good idea to throw it away and never look back.
Sincerely Gilda the gryphon.
P.S Is this some kind of weird hobby you got? Who honestly does this outside kid shows?"
Funny part was Gilda got a letter back from the princess. "More than you would think, you would be surprised what even grown mares will forget, to learn again with relief. That is why it’s important Gilda."
Random quote:
“Sometimes it’s isn't hard to get what it is you’re looking for. But it will change you. And that my friends, is hard.” The scary place in all of us, least this one is friendly, might have it wrong. Let me know!
(Cue the writer of this running from angry fan people. Or if this was done before, shrugs and state. “Really? Then my plan was a complete and total failure then? Oh well I least I tried.”)